Daphne kept her expression neutral as she found an excuse. "Nothing special. There's too much stuff at home, so I packed up some things we don't use. I'm donating them to the orphanage."

"That's nice," Luke replied simply before stepping through the door.

His reaction made Daphne smile bitterly to herself.

He really didn't care.

The packages on the delivery truck were packed in clear bags. If he had paid even the slightest attention, he would have noticed that the so-called "things we don't use" were actually gifts and keepsakes that belonged to the two of them.

Inside the house, many things were obviously missing, yet Luke didn't seem to notice at all. His eyes remained fixed on his phone, engrossed in conversation.

Was he texting Seraphine?

He had missed their anniversary, and perhaps feeling guilty, had tried to make up for it by showering her with gifts.

But on that very same day, Daphne had seen a new post from Seraphine on Instagram.

[Massive clearance sale! My boyfriend gave me way too many gifts, so I told him to take some back and sell them off. I'm such a thrifty and practical girlfriend! (P.S. Of course, I only got rid of the ones I didn't like.)]

Daphne let out a soft laugh. Then, without hesitation, she dumped every single gift into the trash.

Something in her stirred.

So the next time Luke told her he had plans for dinner, she asked who he was meeting.

At first, he remained calm. But when she said she wanted to join him, his expression changed.

Left with no choice, he admitted, "Seraphine came back last month. We never got around to meeting up, so some of us old friends thought we'd throw a little welcome dinner for her. It's really just a friendly gathering—nothing else."

Luke seemed eager to explain, but Daphne cut him off. "Of course. You and Seraphine are just friends. So as your girlfriend, wouldn't it be natural for me to join you in welcoming her?"

For a moment, he wasn't sure if she was being sincere. But looking into her calm, unwavering gaze, he couldn't find a way to refuse.

So, reluctantly, he agreed.

At the restaurant, Daphne spotted Seraphine right away. She was radiant, full of energy, the kind of woman who commanded attention without trying.

"Luke, you're here!"

She greeted him warmly, throwing her arms around him in a casual embrace. Then, as if only just noticing Daphne, she quickly waved with an apologetic smile.

"Oh! Daphne, you're here too. I was just so excited I didn't see you. You don't mind, right?"

Daphne gave a light smile. "Not at all."

"That's good. I was worried that since Luke and I are so close, you might misunderstand." Seraphine's voice carried a hint of smugness.

Once they were seated, Daphne finally saw just how much Luke cared about Seraphine.

He knew all of her preferences—every dish he picked for her was exactly what she liked. He paid attention to her every need, acting like a perfect gentleman. Meanwhile, his actual girlfriend might as well have been invisible.

Daphne suddenly felt suffocated. She needed fresh air.

The moment she stepped outside, Seraphine followed.

She ran her fingers along the violet gemstone necklace around her neck, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"This necklace is worth 700 thousand dollars," she said. "Do you know why I didn't even have to put in any effort to get this?"

Daphne's expression remained unreadable. "Why?"

Seraphine smiled sweetly. "Because Luke wanted to give it to me. You know, I think I'm really happy right now. So happy that I wouldn't even mind dying like this."

Daphne's lips curled into a small smile. "Is that so? Congratulations."

Just then, Luke appeared, looking slightly concerned. "What are you two talking about?"

Seraphine turned to him with an easy smile. "Luke, don't worry. I was just having a chat with Daphne."

Luke hesitated for a moment before heading back inside.

The moment he was gone, Seraphine's expression shifted. Gone was the delicate, innocent girl. In her place was someone crueler.

"Daphne, don't delude yourself," she said coldly. "Even if Luke and I hadn't spoken in years, I've always been the one he truly cares about."

Without a word, Daphne reached into her bag and discreetly switched on her recorder.

"You love Luke that much?" she asked, her voice light. Daphne knew perfectly well that Seraphine was the kind of person who played both sides. Now that Luke wasn't around, she no longer bothered to hide her true colors.

Seraphine scoffed. "Love? He's just a backup plan. But he's completely obsessed with me. I dumped him once, and still, all I have to do is crook my finger, and he'll come running back like a loyal little dog."

Daphne's expression didn't change. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell him what you just said?"

Seraphine smirked. "And you think he'd believe you? You and I both know that no matter what happens between us, he will always take my side."

Daphne's breath hitched for a second.

She knew it was true.

Even if she told Luke everything, he wouldn't believe her.

Just then, he called out to them again.

Seraphine instantly switched back to her sweet, demure self. "Daphne, I had such a great time chatting with you! Let's go back inside together."

Daphne said nothing.

Luke glanced at her, as if trying to read something in her expression.

But Daphne's face was calm, giving nothing away.

The three of them stepped back into the club.

Just then, a waiter pushed in a massive bouquet of red roses. "Mr. Hardy, here are the 999 roses you ordered for Miss Seraphine Cox."

In that instant, the atmosphere shifted.

Luke's expression darkened first.

Nine hundred ninety-nine roses symbolized an all-consuming love—anyone witnessing such a grand gesture would read into it. He stole a glance at Daphne, a flicker of unease in his eyes, but she remained unfazed.

"Daphne, don't misunderstand. This is just to welcome Seraphine back—"

"I know. You don't have to explain." Daphne smiled. Her reaction was so calm that even Luke hesitated, momentarily thrown off.

Lately, he'd felt something off about Daphne—she was too serene, so at ease it was as if she had stopped caring altogether.

Her gaze drifted to the enormous bouquet, then she recalled the flowers Luke had casually bought her at a roadside stall a few days ago. One was exquisite and luxurious; the other, careless and perfunctory.

Just like in his heart—Daphne and Seraphine were worlds apart.

She had once come across a handwritten letter from Luke on Seraphine's Instagram.

In it, he had written how relieved he was that they had never been together. That back then, he had nothing to his name and would have only given her a life of hardship.

On the other hand, Daphne had stayed by his side through those years of struggle, never wavering, never leaving. Yet he had never once given her a gift he had truly put thought into.

What he did give her were things Seraphine had rejected.

In Luke's eyes, she had always been just a substitute, something to pass the time while Seraphine wasn't around.

At that moment, the towering building outside the window lit up, massive glowing words flashing across its surface: "Luke & Seraphine—Be Each Other's Light."

Luke saw them, and his face instantly drained of color.

"I—I can explain..."

Panicked, Luke grabbed Daphne's wrist.

Seraphine let out a soft cry, "Daphne! Please don't get the wrong idea! Luke and I are just really good friends!"

But something inside Daphne cracked. A sharp, dull pain pressed against her chest, so suffocating she couldn't even force a smile.

They were each other's light.

Then what was she?

An obstacle? An eyesore?

She had thought she was past this, that nothing he did could hurt her anymore. But clearly, she had been wrong.

Luke had never been a romantic man. He was even a little reserved.

Once, all she had wanted was to hold his hand while walking down the street. But even that had been too much for him. "There are too many people. It wouldn't look good," he had said.

Yet for Seraphine, he had been willing to spend a fortune, to make a grand confession in the heart of the city for all to see.

In this story of love between them, Daphne was nothing but an unwanted third party.

"Excuse me." Daphne picked up her bag and turned to leave.

Luke immediately followed. "Daphne, listen to me—I have no feelings for Seraphine."

"I know. It's fine." Her voice was calm, effortlessly cutting off every excuse he tried to give.

Again, that unbearable feeling—the push and pull, the endless cycle of distance and false closeness.

Luke's brows furrowed.

As Daphne stepped away, Seraphine hurried after her, her voice laced with grievance. "Daphne, please, don't misunderstand—"

She reached out, catching Daphne's hand.

Before Daphne could react, the sharp sound of a slap rang through the air.

Seraphine staggered backward, hitting the ground hard.

Her hand flew to her cheek, her eyes wide with shock. "Daphne, why did you hit me?"

Daphne froze, momentarily stunned by the sheer theatricality of it. Then, in the next breath, she understood exactly what Seraphine was doing.

Luke rushed over.

Daphne turned her head, meeting his gaze just as his face twisted into something unreadable—his expression shifting to one of cold fury.

Instinctively, she reached for his hand, desperate to explain. "No—Luke, I didn't—"

She had assumed he wouldn't fall for such an obvious trick.

But there wasn't the slightest doubt in his eyes.

He simply looked at her, then violently shook off her hand.

The force of it sent her stumbling backward. The world spun for a moment before she hit the ground.

Stunned, she stared up at him. In all their years together, he had never once laid a hand on her.

And now, for Seraphine, he had.

Tears blurred her vision before she could stop them.

And then she laughed.

Laughed at herself, at the absurdity of it all.

Even if she was hurt, would it matter?

His entire world, at this moment, revolved around Seraphine.

He bent down, carefully helping Seraphine up. He gently pried her hand away from her cheek to check for any signs of injury.

Only after a long moment did he finally exhale in relief. His voice was gentle. "Seraphine, don't cry. There's no mark. No one at the party will be able to tell."

Then he turned to Daphne. His tone, now cold and sharp, cut through the air. "Daphne, you've gone too far. Apologize to Seraphine!"

Daphne sat frozen, as if her soul had drifted out of her body, watching the perfect couple across from her.

Yes, a perfect couple.

How ridiculous. Her boyfriend was confessing his love to another woman, and somehow, she—the one being framed—was expected to apologize.

"What?"

Luke didn't seem to hear her, maybe because her voice was too soft.

She clenched her teeth, forcing back the tears threatening to spill over, and repeated, "I didn't… hit her."

She hated how her voice trembled and how weak she sounded in front of him. But even if she showed her vulnerability, it was pathetic—because no one here would feel sorry for her.

Seraphine sobbed pitifully. "I don't know what I did to upset you, Daphne. If it's because Luke threw me a welcome party, you could've just told me. I would've knelt and apologized. But today's gathering was organized by our friends, and yet, you still slapped me. I really…"

Daphne shot up. "Drop the act!"

Her glare was sharp. "You're wasting your talent not going into acting. You grabbed my hand and hit yourself—there should be security cameras here. Should I pull up the footage to expose you?"

Seraphine froze for a split second, as if she hadn't expected her to mention surveillance cameras. Then, she started crying even harder. "Luke, you have to believe me. I'm not lying, I swear."

The staff at the club stood hesitantly by the door, too frightened by the scene to step in.

Daphne turned to one of them. "Go. Pull up the footage."

But the staffer didn't move. Instead, she shifted her gaze toward Luke, hesitated, and then lowered her head.

Daphne realized it then.

Of course. Luke and Seraphine were the actual guests here.

And she? To the staff, she was probably just a lunatic ruining someone else's good day.

So naturally, they wouldn't listen to her.

She turned to Luke. He was her last hope. "Luke, I didn't hit her. You know that. You saw her grabbing me…"

If they checked the footage, he would see the truth. He would see Seraphine for who she really was.

"No need."

"What?" This time, she was the one who couldn't believe what she'd heard.

"No need to check. I believe Seraphine."

The staff let out a quiet sigh of relief. Before leaving, one of them even shot her a look—disgusted, contemptuous.

That look stripped her bare, as if she'd been thrown, naked, into the middle of a crowded street. Humiliation crawled over her skin.

A strange numbness took over her mind. Her throat was parched, as if it didn't belong to her anymore.

"You believe her… which means you don't believe me?"

Luke didn't look at her. "You shouldn't have come today. Go home."

And suddenly, she understood.

Of course, he knew the truth. He was smart—too smart not to see through Seraphine's act.

But he didn't want to. He didn't want to call Seraphine out.

Even if it meant letting her bear all the blame.

Was this love? Was this what it meant to love someone deeply?

Did Luke love Seraphine that much?

She turned to Seraphine, who was smiling again—a victorious, gleeful smile.

It stung. The sight of it made her eyes ache.

At that moment, she wanted to cry. But no matter how hard she tried, the tears wouldn't come.

She wasn't even sure how she left. She vaguely remembered the driver offering to take her home. She had refused.

She wandered aimlessly for what felt like forever, until pain shot up from the soles of her feet.

A raindrop struck her cheek.

The downpour came fast, too fast for her to find shelter. In seconds, she was drenched.

The sky turned misty, and the streets became empty.

Cars rushed past, sending waves of water splashing against her.

The scent of damp earth filled her nose. Her stomach churned.

She crouched down in the rain, dry-heaving.

Thankfully, the rain was heavy.

No one could see just how pathetic she looked.